SAP Migration · 6 min read · August 2025
What an SAP S/4HANA migration really costs a mid-market company in 2026
By Thinklytics Partners, SAP S/4HANA Practice
Most mid-market S/4HANA budgets are set too low because they under-price the data work. Plan for the platform, the data, and a real contingency.
Topics covered
- Migration Cost
- Budget
- S/4HANA
- Mid-Market
Frequently asked questions
What does an S/4HANA migration cost a mid-market company?
It varies with data volume, customization, and scope, but the budgets that fail almost always under-price the data work. Plan for the platform, the data remediation, and a real contingency.
Why do migration budgets blow up?
Because the data problems are discovered late. Mid-market projects run 30 to 50 percent over on average, and complex custom-code environments can run 50 to 70 percent over.
How much of the budget is data work?
Best practice allocates 25 to 30 percent of total migration effort to data preparation and validation. Skipping it causes rework and cutover delays that cost far more.
Are consulting rates rising?
Yes. Specialist S/4HANA rates are rising 30 to 50 percent through 2026 and 2027 as demand outruns supply, so waiting tends to increase cost.
How do we keep the budget realistic?
Start with a readiness assessment so the number rests on evidence, front-load data remediation where it is cheap, and build a genuine contingency.
What is the most expensive mistake?
Committing to a date and budget before measuring the data. Rework discovered at cutover is the single most expensive line item in any migration.